High Wave Robbery
"High Wave Robbery" is the only Darkwing Duck title ever released in the Disney Read-Along line of merchandise. The Disney Read-Alongs are a series of sets of illustrated books and recordings narrating the story for children to learn reading in an enjoyable way. The series was launched in 1965 and "High Wave Robbery" came out in 1991. Summary With Gosalyn enthusiastically practicing her clarinet solo for a school performance later that week, Drake is only too happy when the police report on a robbery at the home of Joan D. Rockefeather. At the scene of the crime, Darkwing and Launchpad find Rockefeather and her two security guards in an odd trance and with peculiar haircuts. Darkwing observes that all glass in the house is broken too, even though there's no sign of any force used. He brings Rockefeather back to the present with the penetrating scent of his lunch, but the woman doesn't know what hit her. Fortunately, the perpetrator left a taunting note, announcing the next target to be the Watson Theater and mocking the notion anyone can stop them. After notfying the police of the note, Darkwing and Launchpad make their way to the Watson Theater and pick a box seat to hide in. Everything seems normal until three ushers push an odd-looking food table onto the stage. Once settled, they throw off their uniforms, revealing decidedly supervillain-looking outfits underneath. The woman introduces herself as Frequencia and declares a stick-up. Darkwing grabs a rope to swing his way to the stage, but Frequencia and her henchmen uncover the table, put on earmuffs, and press a button. A loud, mind-scrambling sound hits the audience as well as Darkwing mid-swing. As Darkwing crashes, Frequencia and her henchmen grab jewelry and cash at their leisure. It takes hours before the victims recover, by which time the thieves are long gone, having left another note. The city Gold Reserve is announced as the third to receive a visit. This information would be useful if Darkwing could only remember what the crooks look like or what their weapon is, but just like Rockefeather, all but a handful of facts up to shortly before the attack are erased from his memory. Drake ponders the case at home when Gosalyn reminds him of the school performance that evening. Drake initially brushes her off in favor of the case, but when he notices he's hurt her feelings, he promises he'll be there. This turns out to work in his favor, as Gosalyn's performance is so loud and off-key that it raises the audience's hair and inspires Drake to a plan. He grabs Gosalyn after her solo, informing her she gets to help him solve his case, which she's only too glad to be allowed to do. At the Gold Reserve, Darkwing distributes earmuffs and instructs Gosalyn to play on his signal. When the villains come in with their sound machine, Darkwing holds a microphone close to Gosalyn and tells her to repeat her solo. Frequencia and her henchmen don't get the time to put on their own earmuffs and they get a taste of their own medicine as the sound machine explodes. Gosalyn is elated she was crucial to defeating the bad guys, but saddened about what this means for her career as clarinet player. Darkwing soothes her by saying it's just not the right instrument for her, prompting Gosalyn to switch to tuba playing. Cast Quotes : "Whew! What was that? Some special chemical formula?" : "No, my lunch—egg-salad and blue cheese." :— Rockefeather is woken up by Darkwing. : "I am the terror that flaps in the night! The winged scourge that pecks at your nightmares." :— Darwking. : "Yeow, I've never been in such a completely mindless state!" : "You get used to it." :— Darwking and Launchpad. : "Relax, D.W. School concerts are fun. Why, I even played a string instrument as a kid." : "You did?" : "Yeah, a yo-yo!" :— Darkwing and Launchpad. Notes References * Joan D. Rockefeather is named after John D. Rockefeller. The historical figure also inspired the name of Duckverse-regular John D. Rockerduck. * "Mooselangelo" refers to Michelangelo, a sixteenth century artist. The pun "Duckelangelo" was used in the cartoon episode "A Brush with Oblivion". * "Gone with the Mind" is a play on Gone with the Wind, a 1936 novel adapted to stage and screen numerous times. In the cartoon episode "Toys Czar Us", the pun is "Gone with the Breeze". Continuity * Rather than by means of the customary chair set, Darkwing and Launchpad leave the house through a "secret door". At least one of the chairs, if with flower pattern upholstering, is present. Jymn Magon's one other contribution to Darkwing Duck is "Darkly Dawns the Duck", so the production would have to be early in the franchise and with that the in-fiction chonological placement. It is possible that the secret door is a result of a miscommunication to Magon about the nature of the secret entrance, but it is also possible to understand the secret door in-fiction as a system later replaced with the more efficient chair set, in which case it'd have to occur prior to "That Sinking Feeling". Milestones * This episode marks the first appearance of Frequencia, her henchmen, Joan D. Rockefeather, Rockefeather Mansion, and the Watson Theater. Category:Books